- I told you not to use NOLOCK even though I use it sometimes.
- I told you not to shrink databases, even though I do it when I need to.
- I told you not to use SELECT * but I use it all the time.
- I’ve told you not to use cursors but I like them.
That doesn’t seem fair, does it?
It is and it isn’t. Take NOLOCK as an example. I tell people “Don’t use NOLOCK”. In fact, I’ve done a number of rants about it. But I do use it every now and again. Want to know the difference? I know when NOLOCK is appropriate.
Tools are just that, tools. They can be useful or they can cause damage if you don’t know how to use them. Some tools get misused so frequently that senior IT people start telling everyone “do not use” because the chances of them being used correctly are slim, and conversely the chances of them being misused are great.
The simple answer is to just explain how to use the tools correctly right? In a perfect world, yes; that would be the correct thing to do. Unfortunately, not everyone understands what you are teaching. And certainly not everyone understands it the first time, or the second, or the third etc. Not because they aren’t smart enough, or not paying enough attention, but because it’s the nature of learning.
Continue reading on SQLStudies.com.
Continue reading on SQLStudies.com.